Out to the coral reef by boat. It’s windy, not optimal for snorkeling, However, the vacation dilemma, we’re leaving tomorrow.
Shirlee, the first snorkel in the ocean. She’s ready!
Anticipation!
The coral reef. The white, looks like rocks, are dead coral.
Huge Barracuda
Back to shore and pier, Fabulous, inspirational day!
Entrance into the cave and underground river.
It’s really beautiful, has a spiritual feeling.
We snorkeled in the river around the cave.
The stone work every is very impressive.
Abril and Shianne, our guides from Eclipse Adventures. They’re great! I’ll use them again next year.
Served us buffet lunch after visiting the cenotes.
Tacos with beans and rice. Tasty!
Kandi, my daughter, and her friend Shirlee arrived on Saturday morning.
They arrived in the morning. We went to my favorite breakfast place, El Nicho.
Food was really good! It taste very homemade and fresh ingredients.
I had an omelet with tomato and goad cheese. YUM!
Welcome to Puerto Morelos!
After breakfast, we took a walk around the central downtown, the Plaza area. First visit to the pier.
The Plaza, center of town on the tourist side of Puerto Morelos.
Other side of the Plaza
Playground on the Plaza
Favorite ice cream shop, ALDO’s. It’s lovely to walk down in the evening and have an ice cream cone. Their ice cream is really good!
The catholic church on the plaza.
Next checking out a massage on the beach. It’s $40. US for an hour.
Waiting for massage. It’s really windy. As were waiting, the sand was blowing on us….an air exfoliation.
They loved it. A relaxing way to start vacation. Chill out time in the evening.
This is Easter weekend, For Catholics, it’s the end of Lent. Everyone, it seems, were having a party. Casa Velero guests were too. They stayed up most of the night. The guy on the right in the pool, had a beautiful voice, with both opera and pop music.
All weekend there was a fiesta, with food, and and arts and crafts fair. It included music. Most of the foreigners are from Canada.
After my fall, I had to wait 3 days before I could return to the ocean. I waited 5 days to be sure it was healed enough. It wasn’t an optimal day for pictures. Today is windy which decreases the visibility, makes the pictures look foggy. I selected a few, so you may take the journey with me into the blue ocean.
Snorkeled with a lovely couple from Eastern Canada. It’s such a delight that they really enjoyed themselves.
Underwater flower garden
Saw lots of Barracudas today
Barracuda seems to be eyeing the fish, maybe hungry?
End of snorkel. They enjoyed! Good day!
Female dive master or snorkel guide, Cheyenne. After 7 yrs of visiting, the first female to take a group into the ocean. Yea, female power!
I got up this am, It was a nice cool windy morning. I went to grocery store for a few things. I decided to take the scenic, long way back. I was strolling along on the sidewalk, looking at businesses that have changed, and enjoying the blooming, lovely trees. THEN, not watching my feet, I came upon an indented area of the sidewalk, where bicycles may leave and enter the sidewalk. I fell! and hit my head. It started bleeding. People ran out of shops and people in the area ran to help me. They brought a chair outside for me to sit. They asked me if they could call my family, said that I was there solo until next week. At the time, I couldn’t see how serious, or not so bad, it was. Could I just clean it and put a bandaid on it? Or do I need medical attention? It’s best to be cautious in unknown situations. They called an ambulance to take me to the hospital.
Ambulance Driver
Nurse on left, Doctor on right, that did sutures. 5 Stitches.
Before they started working on me. The insurance person came to speak to me. He said that they would bill my US Insurance, but I would have to pay the hospital today. It would be $1,400. US, including the ambulance. I told him that I didn’t have that much money (with me). He said, “let me talk to the supervisor and see if I could get a discount”. He came back and said $500. and took my bank card. I’ve never thought about negotiating with a hospital for medical services.
They gave me medical supplies, Ibuprofen, and discharge instructions. Most of all, NO going into ocean for 3 days (the worse part).
I am very impressed with the clean, modern hospital. The medical staff spoke English and they took very good care of me. They called a taxi to take me back to Casa Velero. I woke up with a black eye, which is normal with my injury.
Just before I was leaving, another American arrived, she also had a fall. They think she broke her wrist. That would be worse on vacation.
When I told my daughter, still in San Antonio, after I returned to my room, she lectured me….”Stop being “DANGER MOM”. A knick name I fondly received from my kids, because I was the one to ride scary rides with them at amusement parks. The name really stuck when I took my boys ages 5 and 7 on a night snorkel in Belize. Thats another story to share!
SO, my friend, when you’re on vacation, keep an eye out for your next step. I’m doing fine, and looking forward to jumping back into the ocean.
Casa Velero. I’ve stayed here for the last 7 years.
Ocean view from Casa Velero’s new observation deck
Invited to a dinner on the patio with the owner, friends, and other guests. That’s Edwin in the orange colored shirt. His friend made Seafood Paella. Was delicious.
A couple from the UK joined.
Views of the new deck.
Newly remodeled kitchen. I love Casa Velero, mostly the location, just steps away from all I like to do. The people here take good care of me.
This is the biggest Barracuda I have ever seen. Can’t really tell from picture.
Above, the blue is a Queen Box Fish. It’s rare, the first Queen I have seen.
IN THE WORDS OF THE BEATLES…
IT’S BEEN A LONG COLD LONELY WINTER, NOW HERE COMES THE SUN.
I wasn’t able to visit last year. I was undergoing chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant for recurring lymphoma, a blood cancer. When I was very sick from the treatment, I dreamed of jumping into the clear blue water of the Caribbean. It always helped get me through a bad moment.
Now I’m back to my favorite place, Puerto Morelos, Mexico. It’s located between Cancun and Playa del Carmen.
Its wonderful to be back at Casa Velero. They redecorated the inner courtyard with colorful murals of the sea.
One reason I love Casa Velero is its steps away from everything. The pier, above, and excellent restaurants and the town square.
My friend, Angelina or Ace, as we call her is relaxing in the pool after arrival. We met as KSYM radio station and had radio shows. We bonded over, that her father comes to Puerto Morelos (PM). He rents an apartment here and stays 6 mo of the year. She’s visited several times when I am in PM. She stayed the first week. We’re going snorkeling tomorrow!
These fish were huge. Hard to tell from picture
Barracuda
I do have some bad news to report about the state of the reef. They had a very hot summer and the temperature of the water rose. It had the effect of killing some of the big hard corals. The soft corals, the things that look like underwater trees above, did OK. For example, the brain coral in the picture, the top layer of the coral is living and it covers the skeleton. When the coral dies, it leaves the skeleton behind. Eventually with out the living structure the coral skeleton crumbles.
It’s heartbreaking! Ive traveled all over the Caribbean, often returning places and Islands where the coral was beautiful but now dead….such as the Florida Keys. I love Puerto Morelos because, until this year, the coral was vibrant and beautiful. Its a warning to our planet, that many people ignore.
Today is the Labor Day Holiday. Chris chartered a sailboat and Meghan reserved a delightful bay house. Chris’s interest in sailing goes way back to childhood. When he was 9, Chris and his dad, my late husband, Randy, took a lake sailing course. It was on Lake Chautauqua in New York. Chris wants a sailboat and is studying how to operate, navigate, and the different sailboats.
We left our place in the morning, with a little concern because there were no wind. Having no wind would be wonderful if we were going snorkeling, but its the opposite for sailing, wind is a necessity.
We met captain Scott of Pacific Northwest Sailing Adventures. We met him at the pier on Bainbridge Island, WA. IF you have interest, check our his website:
Captain Scott took good care of us and answered so many questions. You’re able to book online
Were off to meet Captain Scott of Pacific Northwest Sailing Adventures. We met him at the pier on Bainbridge Island, WA.
Chris wanted to help crew and get some more hands on experience
Meghan, enjoying the day.
Chris got to drive/sail after we left the harbor.
Captain Scott, is a pilot, a lawyer, and worked in Seattle. He sailed to work, in downtown Seattle. It took about an hour. We’re very pleased to charter with him. He answered our sailing questions. Chris impressed me on knowing all the lingo. He showed Chris around the boat, the engine, and the sails, he explained everything. Chris helped manage the sails.
Me, feeling the cool breezes. I love the ocean.
Seattle in the distance.
Downtown Seattle
The space needle, or that’s what we call it in Texas. We have one in San Antonio
TRAVELS OF ANN 